Stat Trick: Isles 3, Devils 1

Two weeks from now, the Isles may remember tonight as a night that cost them draft position. Ten years from now, hopefully Islander fans will remember tonight as a night that a young hopeful scored his first NHL goal. On to the trick:

1. Kyle Okposo recorded his first point, an assist, on a first period goal by Blake Comeau. But with Travis Zajac sitting in the penalty box late in the third period, Okposo recorded his first goal, his first power play goal...and as it would turn out... his first game winner as well.

2. The win snaps a 6-game losing streak and a 4-game road losing streak. Each of the last 3 Islander wins have been on the road.

3. The Islanders had lost 10 of 12 coming in-- a streak that started with the only Devil win in the season series. The Isles win the series at the Rock 3 games to 1, and lead the overall series 6 games to 1 and 12 points to 3. The Devils scored only two goals in the three Isles wins combined in New Jersey

...and a few more

4. The Isles have 30 points since the lockout against New Jersey- more than any opponent (26 vs the Rangers is 2nd). All-time, the Isles have earned 238 points vs KC/Col/NJ -- far and away more than any other opponent (214 vs Rangers) It's the 2nd time in three years that the Isles have won 6 games against the Devils.

5. Guerin (playing his 1,100th NHL game), Spiller, and Vasicek were involved in three separate fights.

6. Dubielewicz is now 2-0 head-to-head against Martin Brodeur and 3-0 against the Devils.

7. The Isles were outshot 35-16; the Devils had 72 tries on goal to the Isles 30. The Isles blocked 24 of those 72 attempts, including 6 by Radek Martinek. Martinek also led the Isles with 25:40 of ice-time.

8. The Isles extended their lead in the Hummer Metro Challenge. The Isles now have 20 points to the Rangers 17 (the Devils were eliminated in January and have only 6 points). The Isles will play their final three games against the Rangers/Devils while the Rangers have 4 games to play against the Isles/Devils.

9. The Isles lost ground to Atlanta in the lottery. Atlanta blew a 3-1 lead in the third and lost to the Caps 5-3 tonight as Alex Ovechkin recorded #59-60.

9. The Devils are 1-7-4 vs the Isles and Rangers but are 41-18-3 against the rest of the NHL. The Devils' record against the Rangers/Isles is the only thing separating the team from the top spot in the Conference.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick. Eric has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and celebrated his 26th anniversary as the statistician on Islander home telecasts on January 21, 2008.